Door-operating mechanism



A. F. PAUL. DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION HLED mm. 2. 1911.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- A.'F. PAUL. DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION-FRED MAR. 2.19I7.

Patented Aprrll, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. F. PAUL. DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION HLED MAR. 2, 1912.

1,412,369. Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

.- a; v a w 2 is H 2,; ss J3 3 vweml'oz x- "N M 5 door and the adjacent UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAM FRANK PAUL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL PNEUMATIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, ABRAM FRANK PAUL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Door-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door operating mechanism.

- The object of the invention is to provide a door operating mechanism for use in connection with thecommon type of folding doors employed on the prepayment or in-' closed'platform type of street cars.- "A'further object of the invention is to provide means in connection with the door operating device to allow a limited yielding movement of the doors in case an obstruction is encountered between the doors while in their closing movemtnt, or between a parts of the car or platform structures.

Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The-invention consists substantially-in the construction, combination, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown by the accompanying drawing,and finally pointed out in the appended'claims.

Referring to the drawings L- Fig.1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a door operating device embodying my inventionas applied to the doors of a streetcar, showing the doors in their open position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the doors closed.

several views.

In accordance with my invention I provide the usual manually operated door structure well known in the art comprising the folding panels, 2, 3, hinged to each other as shown, the panels 3 each being secured to the Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A r; 11, 1922.

1917. Serial no. 151,964.

shafts 4, and the free ends of the panels 2 each sliding in grooves, not shown, so that when the shafts tare rocked the doors are moved into their closed position. This structure of door is well known and is extensively used, particularly in the street car art.

In the construction, installation and operation of the operating mechanism for doors of the type and nature referred to difliculty is oftenencountered because of the necessity for fine and accurate adjustment of the parts and the obstructions frequently encountered in the car structure or its equipment, requiring, ordinarily, the services of skilled or engineering labor to effect the proper installation of the mechanism. Again, because of the. rough usage to which such mechanism is subjected the parts quickly wear or become loose and consequently in the operation thereof rattle and become noisy and increasinglyfso as the wear continues, the doors reaching their completely closed or open position with a slam or hang, or rattling-when in their open or closed position all of which is objectionable not only on account of the noise and rattle produced but also on account of the further wear and tear to which the parts are thereby subjected. lvloreover, the operation of the mechanism ordinarily requires the expenditure of considerable physical energy particularly in the case of manually operated mechanism. This is especially true in starting or initiating the operation of the eoors from their completely open or closed positions, and also at the completion of door movements where the mechanism incorporates an automatic dead center lock arrangement, and in any case where the doors bring up in their completely closed or open positions the hand of the operator which is grasping and operating the door actuating lever is subjected to a shock which is intensified where there is looseness of parts and resulting in a slam.

It is among the special purposes of my present invention to avoid these and other objections and defects of mechanism of this nature, and in carrying out my invention I propose to employ a constant yielding tension so disposed in the door operating mechanism as to take up wear and prevent slamming or the noise and rattle incident to the looseness of parts in such mechanism, and to absorb the energy required in starting the doors in their movements and in completing such movements and also to avold the necessity of fine or accurate fitting or ad usting of the parts in the manufacture and installation thereof.

The tensioning and coordinated features may be incorporated in various specific arrangements and in the drawings I have shown various forms of embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the structure shown in Figs. 1' and 2, the door shafts 4, are respectively provided with arms 5, 6, which are pivotally connected to the ends of the rods 7, 8. Upon each rod is mounted loosely a sleeve or collar 9, 9 and secured to an operating shaft 12,- by links 10 and 11, respectively which shaft is provided with an operating or con trol handle 25, by which it may be rocked. Upon rod 7 at opposite sides of the loose sleeve are fixed collars 13, 14, and a coiled spring 15, 16, is interposed between each fixed'collar and the adjacent ends of the loose'collar. In like manner fixed collars 17, 18, are mounted on rod 8, on opposite sides of the loose collar 9, and springs 19, 20, are interposed between said fixed collars and the adjacent ends of the loose collar 9 In the operation of moving the doors handle 25 is manipulated to rock the shaft 12, with the result that the loose collars 9,

9, are shifted along the rods 7 8, in one direction or the other according to whether the doorsare being moved toward open or closed position. This movement of the loose collars results in compressing the springs 15, 19, or 16, 20, as the case may be. The. arrangement shown is such that the springs 15, 19, are placed in compres sion as the doors move towards open posi- 7 tion while the springs 16, 20, are placed in compression as the doors move towards closed position. In other words the power required to move the doors is applied to the rods 7, 8, through the springs whether the door movement is towards open or towards closed position, and consequently the parts are constantly maintained in tension thereby taking up wear, compensating for roughness of manufacture, and avoiding the necessity for fine or accurate adjustments in effecting the installation ofthe apparatus. The rods 7, 3, are free to swing about their points of pivotal connection to the arms 5, 6, and consequently as the doors arrive at their completely closed or open position a dead center relation of the various parts involved is reached and passed in a well understood manner thereby locking the doors in their closed or open positions. It will also .be seen that the tension of the springs which are being subjected to compression increases as the doors approach the limits of their movements, and consequently this tension is exerted in aid of the effort expended by the operator in initiating the door movements after'the locking dead center relation of the parts is overcome. By applying the power required to move the door through the springs the hand of the operator is relieved of any shock or-jardue to the door coming up against its limit of movement. It will also be seen that whether in completely closed position or. in com-, pletely open position or in movement toward either a. certain extent of yielding. movement is permitted. This is advantageous in, avoiding injury to persons or to the structure in case the doors in opening or closing should encounter an obstruction inits path.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the rod 21 is pivotally connected to a crank plate 22, on the operating shaft- 12, while,

the other end of the rod is slidable loosely through the spaced ends of 23, 24, of. a yoke 26, which is pivotally connected to thearm 27, on the door shaft. 4. Intermediate the ends 23, 24, of the yoke is a. collar 28, which is fixed on the rod21, and the tensioning springs 29, 30, are disposed betweensaid collar and the yoke ends. 7

In the. arrangementshown in Fig. 5,,the tensioning. springs 31, 32, are interposed between the fixed collars 33, 34, on therods and an interposed collar 35, loosely mounted on the rods, the loosely mounted collars being pivotally connected to the arms 36, on the, door'shafts 4. Theopposite ends of the rods are pivotally connected to the crank plate 22 on the operating shaft 12. In this arrangement a dead center locking arrangement is shown wherein springs37 are connected at one end to a fixed standard or arm 38, and to the. crank plate22.

An arrangement is shown in Fig. 4,. wherein, in place of theoperatingrods a toggle arrangement, indicated generally at 39 is employed. The tensioning is accomplished by means of the opposing springs 40, 41. The spring 41 acts to separate the levers of the toggle lever arrangement, while the. springs 40 operateto draw said levers together. The toggle system is connected to the crank plate .22. A pull is exerted on the toggle system to open the doors while a push is. exerted thereon to close the doors.- The pull in the one case compresses the spring41, while instead of the yoke being applied to that end of the rod adjacent the door it is applied to that end which is adjacent the operating shaft 12, and is pivotally connected to an arm 46, carried by said shaft. In this case the shaft 12 serves as a limit stop for the yoke to limit the swinging movement of the rod 21.

In Fig. 8 I have shown another limit stop arrangement wherein the collar 50 is loosely mounted on the rod 51, between the fixed collars 52, 53, with the springs 54, 55, interposed between the fixed and loose collars as above explained, the loose collar being pivotally connected to the arm 56, on the operating shaft 12. The limit stop action is secured by means of extensions 57 formed on the collar 50, which, in the limits of swinging movement of the rod 51, abut against the operating shaft 12.

While I have shown and described various specific structures as embodiments of my invention it is evident that the same principles may be incorporated in other forms and arrangements without departure from the spirit and scope of my invention. I do not desire therefore to be limited, in the broadest scope of my invention to the specific structures shown.

But what I claim as new and useful, and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a door operatingmechanism, an operating shaft, and means for rocking the same, in combination with an operating rod intermediate the shaft and the door to be moved, a collar slidably mounted on the rod and connected to said operating shaft, fixed collars on said rod disposed on opposite sides of the slidable collar and springs interposed between the slidable and fixed collars, said operating shaft serving as a stop for said slidable collar.

2. I11 a door operating mechanism, and in combination with a door and a shaft for operating the same, of means for rocking said shaft, including a rod connected to said shaft, a control shaft, a collar slidably mounted on said rod and pivotally secured to said control shaft, collars fixed on said rod on opposite sides of said slidable collar, and springs interposed between each of said fixed collars and said slidable collar.

8. In a door operating mechanism and in combination with a door and a shaft for operating the same, of means for rockin said shaft including a rod connected to said shaft, a control shaft, collars fixed and slidably mounted on said rod, a pivotal connection between said slidable collar and one of said shafts, and springs interposed interposed between said collars, and a connection between said slidable collar and one of said shafts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 26th day of February A. D., 1917.

A. FRANK PAUL. 

